Written Answers Friday 4 February 2005

Scottish Executive

Agriculture and Fisheries Council

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on the outcome of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council held in Brussels on 24 January 2005.

Ross Finnie: Margaret Beckett represented the United Kingdom at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels on 24 January 2005.

  Being the first Council of their Presidency, Luxembourg presented their work programme for the next six months. Amongst their top priorities were reaching agreement on the new Rural Development Regulation and progressing work on reform of the sugar regime. They also hoped to take forward work on rice, wine, tobacco, bananas, potato starch, organic farming, risk management for agriculture, international forestry and timber imports, avian influenza, aquatic animal diseases, chicken welfare, control of TSEs, potato nematode disease, Mediterranean fisheries and the EU Fisheries Fund.

  The Commission set out its plans for assisting the reconstruction of the fisheries industry in those countries affected by the tsunami and for the co-ordination of EU and member state initiatives in this sector. This would include Council legislation enabling decommissioned EU fishing vessels to be sent to the affected countries. The UK expressed support for the Commission approach, explained what action Britain had been taking and urged the Commission to speed up the adoption of the new Generalised System of Preferences scheme and to improve the rules of origin to help the affected countries export to the EU more effectively.

  Under any other business, Latvia and Sweden requested Community financial support following storms at the beginning of the month which had caused extensive damage to the forestry and agriculture sectors. Estonia, Lithuania and Denmark said they might also seek funding. The Commission would examine actions to help through EU programmes.

  Austria and Greece, supported by a number of other member states, called for assistance in exporting cereal and maize surpluses where bumper crops had led to storage problems and low prices. The Commission drew attention to action already taken on exports but would consider further intervention action.

  In response to a request from Poland, the Commission said it would keep up the pressure on Russia to speed up its inspection of EU export establishments for animal products in order to enable trade to re-start. It would also address problems created by Russia’s insistence that export certification for plant and animal products be done at EU, not member state, level.

Bridges

Mr Andrew Arbuckle (Mid Scotland and Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will complete phase two of the Tolled Bridges Review.

Nicol Stephen: Our aim is to complete phase two during summer 2005.

Concessionary Travel

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each bus and rail transport operator received of the £116.7 million funding for concessionary travel schemes in 2003-04.

Nicol Stephen: The reimbursement arrangements for the current 16 local concessionary schemes throughout Scotland are subject to contractual terms between the local scheme managers and individual transport operators. The Executive does not hold information on the amount of reimbursement paid to individual operators.

Concessionary Travel

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish estimates of how much each transport operator is likely to receive of the £213 million funding allocated for concessionary travel schemes in 2006-07.

Nicol Stephen: The Executive has no current plans to publish operator specific estimates.

Concessionary Travel

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, of the additional £100 million made available for concessionary travel schemes in 2007-08 compared with 2003-04, how much will be required to fund travel that would have been subsidised under existing concessionary travel arrangements and how much will be required to fund the extensions to the scheme.

Nicol Stephen: The additional £96 million in 2006-07 and £100 million in 2007-08 for concessionary travel will be used to pay for the national free bus scheme for older and disabled people and the national concessionary travel scheme for young people. These sums are in addition to provision already programmed for concessionary travel of £13 million in the transport portfolio budget and £104 million currently in the local government finance settlement. As the national bus scheme will be run by Transport Scotland, discussions will take place with COSLA on the share of the £104 million, which should also be used for the purpose of the national schemes. The national free bus scheme for older and disabled people will replace the current local schemes and expenditure will be capped at a maximum of £159 million in 2006-07 and £163 million in 2007-08. In 2003-04 £96.6 million was allocated for all aspects of concessionary travel (the local bus scheme and concessionary travel on other transport modes through the local government settlement). In addition, £20.1 million was provided through central top-up grants.

Concessionary Travel

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of concessionary bus travel was for older and disabled people in 2003-04.

Nicol Stephen: In 2003-04, £96.6 million was allocated for all aspects of concessionary travel (the local bus scheme and concessionary travel on other transport modes through the local government settlement). In addition, £20.1 million was provided through central top up grants. Separate figures for the costs of bus concessions are not available.

Culture

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what work it is carrying out to promote Scottish design and creativity.

Patricia Ferguson: £3 million of funding has been allocated in the Executive's 2004 spending review for a festival of creative design centring on Scotland's six cities (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness and Stirling). The First Minister's St Andrew’s Day speech in 2003 set out a vision for Scotland as a creative hub, using the nation’s creativity as a key national resource. The "6 Cities" concept draws on this idea, and is an initiative to celebrate, promote and develop Scotland’s creative industries, focusing on design at an international, national and city-wide level. The proposal is for a biennial festival which would take place in each of our six cities starting in 2007 and would comprise a programme of events and exhibitions which would move around the country over a period of around two months. Some of the exhibition material would be created centrally, and some would draw on the unique creative talents of each city.

  The programme for the festival would be based on three related strands:

  1. changing the Scottish public’s perception of design;

  2. changing Scottish businesses’ perception of design and the benefits that it can bring to them, and

  3. improving the international perception of Scotland as a place which has a vibrant, forward looking design sector - and thereby contributing to the work that is currently being undertaken in promoting Scotland as a confident, modern country.

  The six local authorities have been consulted on the proposals, and they have offered support in principle for the idea. The UK body responsible for promoting design, the Design Council, has also indicated support for the concept. The next stage is to draw up a detailed business case, and this work has now gone to tender. A discussion paper will shortly be issued on the concept, timing and programme. Concurrently, the appointed consultants will prepare a business plan, including a financial and organisational structure. An interim steering group will be established. Subject to the business case being made, the £3 million investment can be used to promote Scotland and Scottish design at home and abroad.

Ferry Services

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the legal advice it received in relation to whether EU law or rules require the tendering of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services proposed by Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services: Service Specification - A Consultation Paper and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Nicol Stephen: The Executive does not normally disclose legal advice which it receives.

  In any event, I raised the issue of the requirement to tender with the European Transport Commissioner, M. Barrot, when I met him in Brussels on 9 December. Following that meeting I wrote to M. Barrot asking whether there was any way, within the terms of European law, to allow the Clyde and Hebrides services to continue to be delivered on a subsidised basis without the need to tender. The Executive is still in discussion with the Commission on the issue.

NHS Funding

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what funds are being made available to NHS boards for 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08.

Mr Andy Kerr: NHS boards have been given a general allocation of £6,010.502 million for 2005-06, an average increase over the equivalent 2004-05 allocation of 7.6%. Details of each NHS board’s allocation is as follows:

  

Health Board
Col. 1
Col 2


Total General Allocation
2005-06
(£ Million)
Percentage Increase in Unified Budget
%


Argyll and Clyde
514.426
7.50


Ayrshire and Arran
462.840
8.29


Borders
132.754
8.57


Dumfries and Galloway 
192.270
8.57


Fife
399.619
8.65


Forth Valley
314.943
7.81


Grampian
547.910
7.00


Greater Glasgow
1,137.979
7.00


Highland
272.090
8.56


Lanarkshire
637.338
8.33


Lothian
812.864
7.00


Orkney
25.050
7.00


Shetland
29.779
7.00


Tayside
483.539
7.00


Western Isles
47.100
7.00


Total
6,010.502
7.60



  Note: The general allocation includes provision for Hospital and Community Health Services and the cost of drugs prescribed by general practitioners.

  NHS boards have been notified of indicative standard allocation increases in Unified Budget of 6.75% for 2006-07 and 6% for 2007-08.

  Allocations to Special Health Boards for 2005-06 are as follows:

  

 
Allocation
(£ Million)
Percentage Increase
%


NHS Education for Scotland
289.157
7.00


NHS National Services Scotland
189.199
5.62


Scottish Ambulance Service
143.056
7.00


State Hospital
28.783
7.00


NHS Quality Improvement Scotland
11.744
5.62


National Waiting Time Centre
34.256
7.0


NHS Health Scotland
12.017
5.62


NHS 24
45.141
5.62



  NHS Education for Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service have been notified of indicative allocation increases of 6.75% for 2006-07 and 6% for 2007-08. Other Special Health Boards have been notified that allocation increases for 2006-07 and 2007-08 will be sufficient to meet anticipated pay and price increases.

Public Transport

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many bus passenger journeys were undertaken in Scotland in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Nicol Stephen: There were 449 million bus passenger journeys made on local bus services in Scotland in 2003-04.

  The equivalent figures for earlier years appear in Table 2.2 of Scottish Transport Statistics no. 23, 2004 edition, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 33706).

Public Transport

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many bus passenger journeys it expects will be undertaken in Scotland in 2014-15.

Nicol Stephen: The Executive’s target is to increase local bus journeys by an average of 1% per year. Increases of that order would result in around 500 million bus passenger journeys being made on local bus services in Scotland by 2014-15.

Road Accidents

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-5020 by Nicol Stephen on 11 February 2004, how many road accidents there were on the A737 in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004.

Nicol Stephen: The information requested is as follows:

  

Year
Fatal
Serious
Slight
Total


2003
1
11
40
52


2004*
1
8
34
43



  Note: *2004 figures cover the period to 31 October 2004 only.

Road Accidents

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-5020 by Nicol Stephen on 11 February 2004, how many road accidents there were on the A737 on the section between Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch Roadhead roundabout in (a) 2003 and (b) 2004.

Nicol Stephen: The information requested is as follows:

  

Year
Fatal
Serious
Slight
Total


2003
0
1
5
6


2004*
1
1
7
9



  Note: *2004 figures cover the period to 31 October 2004 only.

Speed Limits

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average speed of drivers convicted for speeding was in areas where the legal maximum speed was (a) 20mph, (b) 30mph, (c) 40mph, (d) 50mph, (e) 60mph, (f) 70mph and (g) any other speed in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Cathy Jamieson: Information at the level of detail requested is not available in the statistics held centrally.

Suicide

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the suicide rate in Glasgow was, broken down by council ward area, in (a) 1999-2000, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02, (d) 2002-03 and (e) 2003-04.

Tavish Scott: The following table presents the latest available information. It combines deaths from intentional self-harm with deaths from events of undetermined intent, as the majority of the latter are likely to have been suicides. Because of the small numbers involved, rates have not been calculated for the ward data.

  Deaths from Intentional Self-Harm and Events of Undetermined Intent

  

 
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003


Glasgow City
 


Intentional self-harm
94
117
92
81
91


Undetermined intent
40
43
49
41
26


Total
134
160
141
122
117


Rate per 100,000 pop.
23.0
27.7
24.4
21.1
20.3


Ward
 
 
 
 
 


Anderston
3
5
2
2
3


Anniesland
1
2
1
4
1


Ashfield
2
2
3
1
2


Baillieston
-
3
2
1
1


Barlanark
3
3
2
2
1


Battlefield
2
3
-
-
1


Blairdardie
3
2
-
3
1


Braidfauld
4
5
1
1
3


Bridgeton/Dalmarnock
3
2
5
2
1


Calton
1
3
7
3
2


Cardonald
-
2
1
1
-


Carmunnock
-
-
2
1
-


Carntyne
7
-
1
-
2


Carnwadric
3
1
2
-
1


Castlemilk
2
1
1
1
1


Cathcart
1
2
1
-
2


Cowlairs
1
3
1
1
-


Crookston
1
1
5
-
-


Darnley
1
1
2
-
4


Dennistoun
2
3
1
2
2


Drumoyne
-
3
2
2
2


Drumry
1
3
5
4
2


Easterhouse
-
2
5
2
1


Firhill
1
4
1
1
3


Garrowhill
1
-
1
-
2


Gartcraig
-
4
2
1
1


Garthamlock
2
-
1
1
1


Glenwood
2
1
1
3
1


Govan
1
3
1
-
3


Govanhill
3
4
2
1
2


Greenfield
1
-
2
-
-


Hayburn
1
2
1
1
2


Hillhead
1
2
1
1
1


Hutchesontown
1
5
1
6
3


Hyndland
1
1
-
-
2


Ibrox
2
6
2
2
4


Jordanhill
1
1
-
-
-


Kelvindale
-
-
2
2
1


Kelvingrove
2
5
3
-
1


Keppochhill
2
2
2
-
3


King's Park
1
-
-
-
-


Kingston
2
2
3
1
3


Knightswood Park
2
1
4
3
1


Knightswood South
4
1
2
3
1


Langside
1
-
-
2
-


Maryhill
1
3
2
2
3


Maxwell Park
-
3
1
1
-


Merchant City
1
3
2
7
6


Milnbank
2
4
1
4
4


Milton
1
4
4
2
1


Mosspark
-
2
1
-
-


Mount Florida
-
3
-
-
1


Mount Vernon
3
1
-
-
-


Newlands
-
5
2
-
-


Nitshill
1
1
1
-
1


North Cardonald
2
1
-
1
2


North Kelvin
3
1
1
-
1


Parkhead
3
1
-
2
2


Partick
2
1
1
-
1


Penilee
2
1
1
3
-


Pollok
4
3
2
1
2


Pollokshaws
1
-
3
1
4


Pollokshields East
2
1
3
-
-


Queenslie
1
2
1
3
3


Robroyston
1
-
1
2
-


Royston
5
2
3
5
2


Scotstoun
2
2
2
1
3


Shettleston
1
-
2
4
-


Springburn
2
-
2
2
-


Strathbungo
1
1
2
2
2


Summerhill
4
6
3
2
3


Summerston
2
-
1
2
2


Tollcross Park
-
4
4
2
1


Toryglen
4
1
1
-
1


Victoria Park
-
-
3
1
3


Wallacewell
3
1
3
3
1


Woodlands
-
-
1
2
-


Wyndford
7
6
2
4
-


Yoker
-
1
1
2
-

Transport

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which major transport projects were completed from 1987-88 to 1996-97 in the (a) Glasgow, (b) west of Scotland and (c) Lothians European Parliament constituency areas and how much each such project cost.

Nicol Stephen: The following table details the full cost of those projects of £3 million or more directly funded in full or in part by the then Scottish Office. Although there was no West of Scotland European Parliament constituency in practice, the Boundary Commission proposed in 1995 to establish such a constituency, and the table below reflects that. Where a scheme crosses a constituency boundary this is indicated by an asterisk. In such a case, no apportionment has been attempted, and the full cost is shown.

  

Glasgow 


M74 Maryville Advance Works
£10 million


M80 Stepps Bypass
£44 million 


M74 Maryville to Fullarton Road
£37 million


*M77 Ayr Road Route
£55 million


West of Scotland (as proposed)


A82 Camus nan Clais to Hollybank
£10 million


A82 Luss to Camus nan Clais
£15 million


A82 Luss Bypass
£13 million


M8 St James Interchange
£33 million


*M77 Ayr Road Route
£55 million


MV Caledonian Isles (Ardrossan-Brodick)
£11.1 million


Lothians


A7 North Middleton Bypass
£3 million


A7 Dalkeith Bypass
£12 million


M8 Edinburgh - Newbridge
£57 million



  In addition, a number of projects were completed by SPT. Several of these projects involved EU and UK Government funding, but details are not held centrally.

  Funding was also provided for the following rolling stock in the Strathclyde Passenger Transport area:

  Class 156s for the East Kilbride, Cumbernauld, Barrhead, Kilmarnock and Paisley Lines (22).

  Class 320s for the North Electric lines (22).

Transport

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which major transport projects have been, or will be, completed between 1997-98 and 2006-07 in the former (a) Glasgow, (b) west of Scotland and (c) Lothians European parliamentary constituency areas and how much each such project has, or is projected to, cost.

Nicol Stephen: The following table details the full cost of those projects of £3 million or more directly funded in full or in part by the then Scottish Office or the Scottish Executive. Although there was no West of Scotland European Parliament constituency in practice, the Boundary Commission proposed in 1995 to establish such a constituency, and the table below reflects that. Where a scheme crosses a constituency boundary this is indicated by an asterisk. In such a case, no apportionment has been attempted, and the full cost is shown.

  

Glasgow 


A8 Baillieston - Newhouse (Refurbishment)
£31 million


Kingston Bridge Complex (since 1996)
£72 million


*Larkhall-Milngavie
£34.5 million 


West of Scotland (as proposed)


*A78 Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston Bypass
£40 million


*M77 Fenwick-Malletsheugh / Glasgow Southern Orbital 
£132 million


*Larkhall-Milngavie
£34.5 million


MV Coruisk (Upper Clyde)
£7.15 million


MV Bute (Wemyss Bay-Rothesay No1)
£8.5 million


New Vessel (Wemyss Bay-Rothesay No2)
£9.65 million


New Vessel (Largs-Cumbrae)
£5.62 million


Brodick Linkspan
£4.38 million


Lothians


M8 Newbridge Interchange
£8 million


Edinburgh City Bypass Phase 1 (Refurbishment)
£7 million


Edinburgh City Bypass Phase 2 (Refurbishment)
£8 million


Edinburgh Crossrail
£11 million


West Edinburgh Bus Scheme
£10 million



  In addition, the Scottish Executive: funded the procurement of 29 new trains at a cost of £100 million which will benefit the Glasgow and Lothians constituencies; committed £7.4 million for platform extensions which will benefit the Glasgow constituency, and committed £14 million towards depot enhancements which will benefit the Glasgow and Lothians constituencies.

  In addition a number of projects were completed by SPT. Several of these projects involved EU and UK Government funding, but details are not held centrally.

  Class 334s for Ayrshire routes - part provided under the franchise and two procured by SPT for Larkhall (40).

  Class 170s for Glasgow Croy - compensation units for late delivery of 334s (2).

Transport

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many road miles were covered in each of the last five years for which figures are available by (a) private vehicles, (b) commercial vehicles and (c) other powered vehicles.

Nicol Stephen: Estimates of the total volume of traffic on the roads of Scotland, and of other parts of Great Britain, are prepared by the Department for Transport. The latest year for which these estimates have been produced is 2003. Table 6.3 of Scottish Transport Statistics number 23/2004 edition , copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 33706), gives the figures which are available, for each year from 1993 to 2003 inclusive. The table shows the total distance (expressed in terms of millions of kilometres) covered by each of the different types of vehicle for which these estimates are available.

Transport

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many road miles it expects to be covered in 2014-15 by (a) private vehicles, (b) commercial vehicles and (c) other powered vehicles.

Nicol Stephen: No specific forecasts have been made for 2014-15.

Transport

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) private vehicles, (b) commercial vehicles and (c) other powered vehicles it expects to be registered in 2014-15.

Nicol Stephen: No forecasts regarding registration of vehicles have been made for 2014-15.

Transport

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many major transport projects were completed from 1987-88 to 1996-97, broken down by parliamentary constituency within the Highlands and Islands, North East Scotland and Mid Scotland and Fife.

Nicol Stephen: The following table details those projects funded directly by the Scottish Office with a cost of £3 million or more along with other major projects we are aware of.

  Highlands and Islands

  Argyll and Bute

  None

  Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross

  A9 Dornoch Bridge Approach Roads; A9 Dunbeath Bridge and Mound Bridges; A9 Dornoch Firth Bridge; A9 Broomhill to Logie Easter

  Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber

  A830 Mallaig-Kinsadel; A830 Polnish Lochailort; A830 Morar Bypass

  Moray

  A96 Forres Bypass; A96 Lhanbryde Bypass

  Orkney

  None

  Ross, Skye and Inverness West

  A87 Dornie Bypass; A87 Skye Bridge Approach Roads; A87 Skye Bridge Crossing

  Shetland

  None

  Western Isles (Eilean Siar)

  None

  North East Scotland

  Aberdeen Central

  None

  Aberdeen North

  A96 Bucksburn to Tyrebagger

  Aberdeen South

  None

  Angus

  None

  Banff and Buchan

  None

  Dundee East

  None

  Dundee West

  A929 Kingsway-Powrie

  Gordon

  A92 (now A90) Murcar to Balmedie; A92 (now A90) Ellon Bypass/Tipperty; A96 Inverurie Bypass

  West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine

  A94 (now A90) Candy Stonehaven; A94 (now A90) Upper Northwater Bridge-Oatyhill

  Mid Scotland and Fife

  Central Fife

  A92 Bankhead Interchange

  Dunfermline East

  A92 East Fife Regional Road II; A92 East Fife Regional Road III and IV

  Dunfermline West

  None

  Kirkcaldy

  None

  North East Fife

  None

  North Tayside

  A94 (now A90) Forfar Bypass; A94 (now A90) Parkford-Balnabreich; A929 (now A90) Tarbrax-Forfar; A94 (now A90) Brechin Bypass

  Ochil

  None

  Perth

  A9 Greenloaning-Blackford

  Stirling

  A9 Dunblane Bypass.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

MSPs

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many documents or publications have been lodged by MSPs with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre in each year since 1999.

George Reid: Documents are only formally lodged in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre by the Scottish Executive or by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. From time to time, MSPs donate items to Information Centre stock, but details of the donor are not normally recorded.